Versatile Bloggers

ver·sa·tile - adj - embracing a variety of subjects, fields, or skills; turning with ease from one thing to another.

I was super excited to check my comments and discover that Elizabeth over at One Mom's Moxie had chosen me as a recipient for the Versatile Blogger Award! How fun!! Thank you thank you thank you Elizabeth!!!

Here are the official rules for this award:

• Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.


• Tell your readers seven (7) things about yourself.


• Give this award to fifteen (15) recently discovered bloggers.


• Contact those bloggers and let them in on the exciting news.

Ok then, seven things about me... Beware: some of these are pretty random... :)

1. I love to read. When I was little I spent a lot of time alone (my brother is 6 1/2 years younger than me) and I read A LOT of books. My favorite day of the week was Fridays when I could go to the library and get the next 2-3 books in whatever series I happened to be in.


2. I collect spoons. Not eating spoons, but souvenir spoons. It started when I was 4 and went on a trip out west with my mom & dad. They bought me a collector's spoon in every state we visited. I now try and look for a spoon every time we go somewhere new. I have 38 of my own, and 22 from my late mother-in-law, who also collected spoons.


3. I took a sheep management class in college. I got to do things like castrate lambs and spend the night in the sheep barn just off campus watching for baby lambs to be born. (I went to Michigan State University :)


4. I was a drum major in my high school marching band. It was an interesting role for me, as I was (and still am) quite the introverted person. But I decided to go for it, and was one of 3 drum majors both my junior and senior years. Marching band is probably the only thing I miss about high school.


5. Speaking of high school, I do have one regret: that I never was involved in the school plays. A lot of my friends were in them, but between my introverted personality, and my super-busy schedule with 4H and church, I never tried out. I now go and watch a number of high school dramas each year (I know a lot of school-age kids, plus Rocky runs lights & sound for the school he teaches at), and I find myself wishing I'd done it. There just aren't the opportunities for that kind of thing now.


6. Have you ever taken those personality quizzes that rank you based on 4 animals -- lion, otter, beaver, golden retriever? I am very much a beaver. VERY much. A few points in the lion and golden retriever categories, none in the otter. Lots in the beaver category.


7. I have never met an ice cream I didn't like. Seriously. I like any flavor I've ever tried. It doesn't help me lose my pregnancy weight though...

Ok enough about me! Time to pick some winners! In alphabetical order:

The Better Mom -- "We are just moms who desire to be “better” even though we are busy. We believe God has placed a high-calling on our lives as we raise children who will impact the world, take care of our homes, love our husbands, and ultimately honor God with our lives. We would love to have you share in our journey! Mission Statement: Our mission is to build God-honoring homes by inspiring moms to be better moms through sharing life and learning together."

Cedar Hill Ranch -- "Cedar Hill Ranch is about creating a relaxed lifestyle and home that is also graceful and beautiful, a place that embraces family and friends in a comfortable way while making them feel special and celebrated. I think of French life being about family and friends in a beautiful setting, sitting around a outdoor table with good food and good conversation. I write about how to create a home that embraces your family and guests with interior design ideas, DIY projects, antiques, vintage dishes, great recipes, entertaining, and anything else I find interesting or helpful."

Coolest Family on the Block -- "I like to blog about our family and the traditions we're creating together. I love to help you find creative ways to have fun and make memories with your family. I'm also trying to go green, organic, vegetarian, and possibly crazy. Join me won't you?"

Eat What You've Got -- "Helping you control your budget by inspiring you to use the items you have on-hand. Good old-fashioned "making do with what you've got."

Growing Home -- "We're passionate about God's design for the family! We try to encourage ladies in God's design by sharing thoughts on Christian living, homeschooling, homemaking, and biblical femininity. We offer frugal tips, recipes, menu plans, gardening ideas, and a growing resource of wonderful blogs and literature that we've come to love and appreciate along the way."

I Can Teach My Child -- "You are your child’s first teacher! This site is dedicated to parents–mother and fathers, stay-at-home parents and working parents. Spend a few minutes each day investing in your child–and a lifetime of rewards they will reap! Within this site, you will find activities for young children, resources for parents, some crafts, and an occasional parenting tip or two!"

Joy Ever After -- "Inspiring joy in the relationships and role of daughters of the King." Posts about marriage, children, devotions, and the home.

My Heart's Desire -- "I am a homeschooling mom, a caretaker for my disabled mother, and a child of God. My purpose is to remember all the blessings God has given me. Through my writing I want to share ideas, experiences, and support to others. I hope you will gain insight and strength from my posts. As homeschooling parents we are the front line to raising future leaders, and the next generation of productive members of this wonderful world God created for us."

Natural Living -- "Simple Cuisine, Elegant Flavors and Real Food."

The Peaceful Mom -- "The Peaceful Mom is a blog dedicated to helping women everywhere gain peace and fulfillment through better organization, focused priorities and purposeful living."

Raising the Barrs -- "We do some pretty normal stuff like watching our favorite movies over and over again, and taking walks in the evenings when the weather is nice. We also do some (ok, a lot of) not-quite-so-normal stuff like co-sleeping, eating traditional foods, family cloth (including cloth diapers), extended breastfeeding, natural family planning, and living frugally on one income. There are some down right weird things that we do too. You’ll mostly be spared those. :) This blog is our place to share about the things that we are passionate about and the things that we are learning."

Romance on a Dime -- "Sharing adventures in healthy cooking, money saving, and DIY-ing"

A Slice of Smith Life -- "I am a homeschool mom of 4 whose one of many passions is creating and decorating birthday cakes for my "cupcakes". "A Slice of Smith Life" is also a way for me to document other areas of our family's life that are important to us. I hope you enjoy your visit here!"

Sunshine Sentiments -- "It seemed as though everywhere I looked I saw mostly bad news. It began to make me grumpy, sad, depressed, upset and unsettled (kind of sounds like a bad dwarf casting call from Snow White, doesn't it?) Then I noticed how often I was beginning to expect bad news. My glass was being reconfigured -- more half-empty than half-full. The lenses through which I view the world were turning gray. Sunshine Sentiments is my attempt to remind myself about all the positive, inspirational, encouraging things around me -- to let a little light in."

Sweep. Sew. Stir. -- "Currently, I struggle with keeping the house clean and organized, as many of us do. But my goal is to perfect a variety of homemaking skills. I’ll be tackling new projects all the time and sharing my successes and failures along the way. You’ll find articles containing inspirational pictures (because we all need a little motivation), cleaning and organizing tips and methods, delicious recipes, cooking techniques, and decorating ideas. Plus, you’ll get to see me battle with learning new skills such as sewing, crocheting, meal planning, and more. It’s bound to be both frustrating and fun!"

I hope you can find some great new reading material from these blogs! They are all part of MY Google Reader! :)